Christmas For Two
by Seraphim-Angel02
Summary: [CloudxTifa] [One-Shot] Cloud and Tifa have a warm Christmas celebration at home. But what is Tifa up to?


Author's Note: Well, well, well! It's that time of year again, folks! This is my Christmas present to you. Especially to **Cloud-Bahamut**, who reviewed my first fic and wanted me to write a Cloud/Tifa. Well, here it is! Sorry if you wanted it to be angst, because I wrote this as a fluffy-ish good-feeling Christmas fic. ^^" But I hope you still enjoy it! And everyone else, too!

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VII belongs to SquareSoft. (I still can't bear to call them "SquareEnix," it just sounds wrong to me.) I do not own it, as I am not SquareSoft.

**~**

**Christmas for Two**

By Seraphim-Angel02

Cloud's brow furrowed as he passed by Tifa's bedroom door. Tifa had come home from shopping only to lock herself away in her room for hours. She had been in there for about three hours now, and he was getting worried. What was she doing in there?

Cloud set down the box of ornaments he was carrying next to him, and knelt by the door. Placing his ear next to the door, he tried to listen to what was going on in the locked room.

It was oddly silent in there. But a small rustle told him that Tifa _was in there and possibly doing something. There were sounds now; a sharp _sching_ that undoubtedly belonged to a pair of scissors and the hollow sound of a drawer being opened, then slid shut. Soft, padded footsteps got closer...and closer..._

Suddenly, the door opened, startling Cloud out of his concentration. He fell down to his side, staring nervously into the shock written clearly on Tifa's face.

"C-Cloud! What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to conceal her shock, but failing miserably.

"I...dropped some ornaments, so I bent down to pick them up," he said hastily, "I wanted to start decorating the tree, since Christmas _is_ two days from now. Do you want to help? I already have half the tree done with tinsel."

Tifa smiled. "Sure, Cloud."

~

The tree looked beautiful after Cloud and Tifa finished decorating. The silver tinsel shone brightly as the colorful Christmas lights blinked. The crystal ornaments made rainbow patterns when they were hit by light, and the shining star on the top of the tree gave the finishing touch.

"Tifa," Cloud called to the kitchen, "There's still a box of ornaments left."

Tifa poked her head from behind the kitchen wall.

"Oh really? Well...we're pretty much finished with the tree now. We could just put it up in the attic, and use them next year."

"Next year? So does this mean we're not celebrating with the gang like we always did?"

"Well," Tifa said thoughtfully, "It depends. It might be a nice change to have a little celebration at home. You know, just the two of us."

Cloud got a strange, tingly feeling in his stomach when she said that.

"Yeah," he said slowly. At home.

Tifa came bustling into the living room now, carrying a tray complete with steaming cups of hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies.

It was then that Cloud noticed something. Tifa's fingers were wrapped up with bandages, covering the pads of each of her fingers.

Cloud frowned slightly, careful not to attract Tifa's attention. When had she gotten those? He didn't notice them until now...Was that what she was doing in her room? Bandaging her hands? He couldn't help but feel utterly confused.

"Cloud?"

His head snapped up, his train of thought lost. Tifa looked at him with a wide-eyed look, nervous having caught him staring.

"Tifa..." Cloud started, licking his suddenly dry lips.

"Yes?"

He stood up, walking over to Tifa and taking her calloused, bandaged hands in his. She involuntarily jerked her hands back, but he kept his grip on her hands. He touched the bandages gently.

"Where did you get these?"

An uncomfortable silence immediately befell the room.

Tifa looked down. "I dropped a glass this morning on accident. I didn't know the shards were so sharp, and I cut myself."

Cloud placed one of his hands over hers, squeezing softly.

"That's unlike you. Be careful, Tifa."

Tifa nodded.

They stayed like that for a moment, silent once more.

"Cloud..."

"Hmm?"

"The hot chocolate is going to get cold..." she said, grinning up at him.

Cloud smiled sheepishly, and Tifa giggled.

"Right. Let's eat!"

But Cloud couldn't shake the feeling that Tifa was lying.

~

Two days later, Christmas Day, Cloud and Tifa had a cozy celebration at home. They had a great dinner, complimentary of one Tifa Lockheart, and now they sat in front of the fireplace, wrapped up in their blankets.

Tifa stared at the fire, its flaming embers reflecting in her eyes. She blew on her hot chocolate, and sipped it tentatively.

Cloud coughed awkwardly, and Tifa turned to look at him. Her eyes widened as he took out a medium-sized box from behind his back.

Cloud could feel his face warming up, although that could be from sitting in front of the fire for so long.

"Tifa...I know you told me not to get you anything for Christmas, but I couldn't help myself. When I first saw this, I knew you would love it."

Tifa's heart pounded against her chest as she opened the clumsily wrapped present. Pulling out a clump of green tissue paper, she opened it up and gasped. It was a long, red scarf with yellow cartoon Chocobo patterns on it. She whipped her head to Cloud, who was looking at her expectantly. Her warm cinnamon eyes were shining as she smiled.

"Thank you so much, Cloud. It's so beautiful." Tifa scooted closer to Cloud, and reached over to give him an affectionate hug.

Cloud returned the embrace wholeheartedly, moved to put his mouth next to her ear. She shivered, feeling his warm breath on her neck. He laughed warmly.

"Do you have anything for me?"

Tifa felt her pulse quicken when Cloud withdrew, pulling out a gift bag from behind her back.

"Cloud!" she cried embarrassedly, "That was supposed to be a surprise!"

He grinned, "Well, it's not my fault it was right in my field of view. At least now we're even."

"Fine," Tifa pouted childishly, and then perked up immediately, "Go on, open it, open it!"

Cloud laughed at her sudden turn of face, and pulled out the present.

It was a medium-sized, cream-colored teddy bear with a scarlet red scarf around its neck. It looked almost perfect, but Cloud couldn't help but notice that the left ear was smaller than the other.

His eyes softened. He knew without a doubt that she made the bear herself. That was probably what she was doing in her room a few days back. He recalled her bandaged hands. She never was good at sewing, he thought, chuckling softly. He remembered that she even asked Aeris to teach her how. He fingered the lopsided ear fondly, and turned to Tifa.

She looked nervous sitting there, all wrapped up in her cozy blanket. Tifa tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and put her hands back on her lap, wringing them restlessly.

"Do you...like it? I, um, made it for you."

Oh, Tifa. So she did make it.

"I love it, Tifa. This is the best present ever."

"Cloud," she said embarrassedly, "You're just saying that to make me blush."

He laughed and stretched an arm around her shoulders, giving her a one-armed hug.

"I really mean it. Thanks, Tifa. This means a lot to me."

She looked up at him, her cinnamon eyes appearing translucent in the fire. He gently caught her chin in his other hand, slowly tilting her head upwards. He looked at her, waiting for approval. She leant in, eyes fluttering closed, and Cloud felt his face inching closer and closer.

The scarf and teddy bear lay next to them, forgotten for now.

~

Well, I'm about to head out the door, so here are my last words:

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of ya'll reading this! Hope you have a great time celebrating! Do drop a line, and review please! Thank you so much, and have fun doing whatever you love doing during the holidays!

Regarding my fic, I think I may have strayed away from the plot a little. So look out for a revise soon. I was rushing to get this posted in time for Christmas! ^^"

**Edit:** (12-29-03) Well, I kind of forgot to change the title that was included in the actual story (used as a header), so I went in and changed that. But other than that, no new changes, sorry! I guess I was satisfied with how it turned out after all. ^_^

.:Seraphim-Angel02:.


End file.
